Old timer showed me a trick with a washer today

I was working on a pressure vessel repair over in Gary, Indiana, and this guy named Ray who's been a Boilermaker since the 70s walked over. He saw me struggling to get a stubborn nut off and just handed me a thick washer to put underneath the wrench for better leverage. He said "you're fighting the rust, not the bolt" and it worked like a charm on the second try. Has anyone else picked up a simple hack like that from a veteran on the job?

2 comments

2 Comments

miabennett3d ago

Ray's advice about the washer is gold. I've started keeping a cigar box full of thick washers in my truck for exactly this reason.

christopher_craig1d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah the "cigar box full of thick washers" bit really got me. That's the kind of simple hack that just sticks in your head. I grabbed an old tin can from the garage and filled it with random washers I found laying around. It's crazy how often I reach for one now. Best part is they're cheap and you never feel bad about losing one. Ray definitely knew what he was talking about there.